There will be a peaceful cycling protest today when thousands of cyclists are expected to take to two and three wheels along the route between the Meadows and Holyrood.
Scottish Green MSPs Alison Johnstone and Patrick Harvie will take part in today’s Pedal on Parliament demonstration, and are calling for the Scottish Government to change its attitude and start to invest seriously in cycling and walking infrastructure.
The Green MSPs say that funding is set to fall by £3.3million this year. On average just 1 per cent of Scots cycle as their main mode of travel. The Scottish Government looks set to fail its own target of 10 per cent of journeys by bike by 2020.
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian and Co-convenor of Holyrood’s Cross Party Group on Cycling, said:
“Pedal on Parliament has become a fixture. It’s a grassroots demonstration of the support for greater investment in walking and cycling and a symbol of a government still not responding adequately to the growing range of voices on this issue.
“Scottish Ministers have failed in every year of this Parliament to spend even 2 per cent of a £2 billion annual transport budget on making cycling and walking attractive and safe. We need a government that takes this issue seriously, so we can reap the rewards of better public health and well-being.”
Patrick Harvie, Scottish Green MSP for Glasgow, said:
“The failure to invest flies in the face of the evidence which shows how cycling and walking boosts health, the economy and reduces the cost pressures on the health service.
“The Scottish Greens have a longstanding commitment to spend at least 10 per cent of the transport budget on infrastructure and training to make cycling and walking the easy option. Scotland must catch up with countries with high levels of cycling where investment has been sustained over many years.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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